HER

     

Her is Spike Jonze's latest movie and it's a story about a lonely man who falls in love with Siri, which, in this case, is called Samantha. It is the best possible movie given that premise. I liked "Her"a lot. I loved the vision of the new future the production design and costume design have created. Even though people will suddenly think that high-waist pants are SO COOL, the future looks a lot like the present does, but with better video games and cell phone reception on the subways. Joaquin Phoenix shows the best of his skills as Theodore, the lonely, letter-writing eccentric. The cinematography, done by Hoyte Van Hoytema (from the unforgettable Let the Right One In) is stunning. The last shot of the movie is one of my favorites in recent film history. But the story... well, the story is about a lonely man that falls in love with Siri and the complications, or lack thereof, that ensue when that happens.
      There was something missing for me in this movie. It wasn't particularly visionary - we all know that technology only gives the illusion of bringing us together when it, in facts, is making us more distant. No brilliant insight here! When Hal started lying in "2001" it was a scary - and revolutionary - thought: computers that are becoming smarter than the people that programmed them. It's the whole idea behind Free Will: yeah, God gave it to us (I'm talking theory here, not implying that you are a believer or anything), we're on our own. But in 2014, it's not revolutionary at all. It's, in fact, part of every day life. It wasn't particularly funny, or particularly sad, or particularly gritty. It took a not so safe concept and brought it to safe storytelling and filmmaking.
      It's still a memorable piece of art, though. Spike Jones has an incredible ability to take any strange concept and make it not only watchable, but unforgettable. Maybe Michel Gondry's crazy, creative and limitless mind would've given Her a little more 'punch', but that's just me being picky (this is Spike Jonze's first feature-length screenplay credit, if one excludes the Jackass films). Jones continues to be one of my favorite directors, constantly leaving his comfort zone - that is, if he has one - and taking us along with him.